Film Studies

In the Film Studies minor you learn about the art and craft of filmmaking in addition to the history and theory behind film. The film studies minor has two different tracks. Track one focuses on the study of film with classes in film theory, film history and faith & culture in film. Students can look at film from other areas of study including, Literature, Philosophy and Political Science. Track two focuses on the filmmaking process and includes a semester-long study at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center, a program sponsored by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. During the course of the semester, students at LAFSC write, shoot and edit short films while interning at studios and production companies in Hollywood. LAFSC recently added two RED Epic cameras and two RED Scarlett cameras to their equipment list.

Back in Jackson, Film Studies students also have the opportunity to make films inside the classroom as well as working on Union Film Society projects. Every Spring the department hosts the Union Film Festival where students can submit their work, view the work of other students on campus and receive awards for excellence in the many different areas of production.

Film Studies minor:

Track One: 18 hours

An introduction to the scholarly aesthetic analysis and study of media teaching students the critical skills involved in the understanding and interpretation of media messages. Includes a foundational study of the forms, functions, and history of media arts to develop appreciation and skill in analysis. Credit hours: 3.

Historical survey of motion pictures with emphasis on major movements, genres, and themes in narrative film from the early silent era, early talking pictures, the studio system, and post-classical cinema. Credit hours: 3.

An examination of how films as stories convey faith or alternative responses to God as latent aspects of the total film experience. Includes an exploration of how explicit a film may be about faith or another ideological position without losing its credibility as a film. Credit hours: 3.

Film Studies Electives: Select 9 hours from

This course explores the subtle uses of symbolism in presenting sub textual messages. Students view and analyze a variety of films and taped theatre productions. Credit Hours: 3. Offered in the Winter.

The practice and patterns of censorship in cinema. Issues include local and state censorship boards, legal challenges, organized public pressure, and self-regulatory efforts by the industry. The use of film as propaganda, including Soviet cinema theory, Nazi film propaganda, and American use of film in supporting war efforts will be considered. Credit hours: 3.

An examination of the intersection of film and literary texts and the scholarly analyses of each narrative format. Discussion includes cultural and historical aspects, philosophical approaches to adaptation, and the technical analysis of film. Credit hours: 3.

Track Two: 22 hours

An introduction to the scholarly aesthetic analysis and study of media teaching students the critical skills involved in the understanding and interpretation of media messages. Includes a foundational study of the forms, functions, and history of media arts to develop appreciation and skill in analysis. Credit hours: 3.

Film Studies Elective: Select 3 hours from

This course explores the subtle uses of symbolism in presenting sub textual messages. Students view and analyze a variety of films and taped theatre productions. Credit Hours: 3. Offered in the Winter.

Historical survey of motion pictures with emphasis on major movements, genres, and themes in narrative film from the early silent era, early talking pictures, the studio system, and post-classical cinema. Credit hours: 3.

The practice and patterns of censorship in cinema. Issues include local and state censorship boards, legal challenges, organized public pressure, and self-regulatory efforts by the industry. The use of film as propaganda, including Soviet cinema theory, Nazi film propaganda, and American use of film in supporting war efforts will be considered. Credit hours: 3.

An examination of how films as stories convey faith or alternative responses to God as latent aspects of the total film experience. Includes an exploration of how explicit a film may be about faith or another ideological position without losing its credibility as a film. Credit hours: 3.

An examination of the intersection of film and literary texts and the scholarly analyses of each narrative format. Discussion includes cultural and historical aspects, philosophical approaches to adaptation, and the technical analysis of film. Credit hours: 3.